Sometimes, I just don't have any guts.
For example:
This week's gospel reading, Mark 6:14-29, tells the story of Salome dancing so provocatively before the king that he makes a rash and exorbitant promise.
In today's world, something in the neighborhod of $60 billion is spent on pornography each year, $3 billion on child pornography. Over 10% of all web sites host pornographic material.
and I'm not going there.
This week's gospel also tells the story of John the Baptizer, thrown into prison by the king for being a danger to the state, and left there without possibility of parole. There are now approximately 450 people held at Guantanamo Bay--some have been there for years--with the Supreme Court only recently granting the possibility of their release after trial.
Since I live in San Antonio, Texas, I'm not gonna go there, either.
Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me.
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5 comments:
Ah, yes. The things we don't say. I have far more experience in this than is good for me. So I understand what you're saying, although I think in general you have plenty guts, even if this week you're shying away from controversial topics.
Sometimes one must be discerning. It is not a lack of guts, but an appropriate concern for your context. I think it is highly admirable that you even acknowledged those issues - I'd bet that many preachers didn't even consider them important, let alone have a little personal debate about what to do with them.
I feel like I am not being very eloquent - my brain is so fried from CPE. But, I think you get my point. Hang in there.
You hang your thoughts, feelings, and doubts out for anyone to read - and you claim to have no guts?
pleeeeez
I think you are doing the right thing.
It's all about providing the message in a way that means something to people. If you start with the ends you'll turn your audience off. If you talk about the inconsistency between being a Christian and advocating for "the War on Terror", many in your San Antonio audience will perceive it as an attack on who they think they are. But if you guide them to change the way they approach the bigger questions of “who am I?” and “what does my time here mean to me?,” then some in your audience will begin to have ears to hear, and you won’t need to talk about pornography or war - that still small voice will tell them without you saying another word. So talk about the means, not the ends. Teach a method of finding one’s self in the Grace of God, and let the Spirit do the transforming.
Although I agree that it is good that you are careful in the topics you choose to present in sermons, I am also very encouraged to find this slightly less censored forum for your thoughts, and in doing so to find that I'm not the only one who has been heart broken (if that's the right word) over these issues. Thank you for having both "guts" and common sense.
(and I have no idea how this blog thing is supposed to work, or how I'm supposed to sign it...so I'm clicking anonymous but signing as Jen)
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